Electrical clock



(Mode1..)

D. F. SWEET. ELECTRICAL CLOCK.

No. 244,089. Patented July 12,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL F. SWEET, OF HASTINGS, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRICAL CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,089, dated July 12,1881.

Application filed October 29, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concernBe it known that I, DANIEL F. SWEET, of Hastings, in the county ofBarry, and in the State of Michigan, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Eleetro-Magnetic Secondary Clocks; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in secondary clocks, themechanism of which is operated through the agency of electricity bymeans of a primary clock which is adapted to make and break an electriccircuit passin g through the helix of the electro-magnet of thesecondary clock at proper intervals, to actuate the armature ofthe saidsecondary clock in such manner as to actuate a ratchet-wheel formingpart of the mechanism of the secondary clock, to rotate the hour andminute hands through suitable intermediate mechanism in unison with themechanism of the primary clock. These objects I attain by the devicesand mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved clock; Fig.2,,a view partly in side elevation and partly in section; and Fig. 3, anend elevation of the apparatus.

The letter A indicates the frame carrying the various working parts ofmy improved clock, at one end of which is mounted an ordinaryelectro-magnet, B, the helices of which are in circuit, with propercontact making and breaking mechanism, operated by a ehronometer ortime-keeper of suitable description, and with a suitable battery, insuch manner that the circuit will be made and broken once each minute.

The letter 0 indicates an armature, secured to one end of a lever, D,fulcrumed at E to the frame A, the armature being located opposite thepoles of the magnet, as usual, so as to be attracted thereby when theelectric circuit is closed.-

The lever D carries at its opposite end a pivoted pawl, F, which isadapted to engage, one tooth at a time, the teeth of a ratchet wheel, G,mounted on the minute-hand shaft 11 of the clock.

The letter I indicates a wire detent secured rigidly to the lever D, andadapted to engage the ratchet-teeth on the opposite side of theratchet-wheel to the pawl F and hold the wheel against backwardmovement.

K indicates a fly or fan secured to a shaft, L, having bearings in theframe A. The said shaft is provided with a short curved arm, I, whichbears against a spring, M, on the pawl F in such manner that theatmospheric resistance of the fan, when operated by the lever D throughthe medium of the spring M and arm I, will retard the motion of themechanism and prevent it from sudden shocks when the electric current isstrong and tends to magnetize the magnet too powerfully and actuate thearmature with violence.

The letter N indicates a spring, bearing against the ratchet wheel atits periphery, which, while it permits it to move readily, holds theminute-wheel balanced, so that it cannot fall back when moved.

The letter P indicates the hour-hand-actuating wheel. This is mounted ona sleeve, Q, surrounding the minute-hand, as usual. The said wheel isprovided on its rear face with a series of pins, R, twelve in number.The minute hand shaft, opposite the same face, is provided with aneccentric, S, which has a throw of just half the distance diametricallybetween the two pins.

The letter T indicates an eccentricstrap, which projects at each side,and is bifurcated, as indicated by the letter t. To the lower edge ofthe strap is attached a link, a, which is connected to a spring, 1),which holds the strap in a horizontal position while moving across theface of the wheel R. The strap between its bifurcated ends is of suchlength as to leave the pin at one side disengaged while engagingand'operating the pin at the other.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

The electro-magnet actuates the armature and 5 lever at each make of thecircuit by the main clock or chronometer advancing the ratchetwheel tothe extent of one tooth, the lever falling back at each break, causingthe pawl to take another tooth. The wheelhaving sixty IOO teeth, it willbe evident that it will be rotated completely in one hour. During itsrotation the eccentric-strap will engage and move the hour-wheel to theextent of one tooth, and on the succeeding rotation of the ratchet-wheelwill work across the face of the wheel It, and will thus continueengaging alternately the teeth on opposite sides and operate the saidwheel so long as the motion of the main clock is kept up.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the lever D and its pawl F, the fan or fly K, armM, and spring Z, and the ratchet-wheel mounted on the minutehand shaftof a secondary clock, the whole adapted to operate substantially asspecified.

2. In combination with the minute hand shaft of a secondary clock, theratchet-wheel 20 mounted thereon and provided with a series of sixtyteeth, the eccentric mounted on said shaft, and the bifurcatedeccentric-strap, and the hour-hand wheel provided with a series of pins,twelve in number, with which the bifur- 2 5 eated strap is adapted toengage to operate the hour-hand, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this19th day of October, 1880.

DANIE IJ F. S WE ET.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. TRAsK, F. L. UPJorIN.

